Legal Clinics in the Context of European Integration: Key Outcomes of the ALCU Scientific Forum

For legal clinics, practice often serves as the starting point for research. Client counselling, community engagement, public legal education initiatives, and emerging societal challenges raise questions that rarely have ready-made answers. This is why research into the issues legal clinics address, the exploration of new approaches, and the exchange of experience and good practices have become integral to clinical legal education.

These issues were at the heart of the Scientific Forum of the Ukrainian Association of Legal Clinics (UALC), “Legal Aid and Public Legal Education: The Mission of Legal Clinics in the Human Rights Protection System in the Context of European Integration,” held on 11–12 June 2026 in Vinnytsia and hosted by the Mykola Udod Legal Clinic of Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University.

The Forum brought together more than 30 representatives of Ukrainian legal clinics, academics, students, international experts, and the Association’s partners. Its distinctive feature was the combination of academic discussion with a professional dialogue on the future of clinical legal education. Participants explored current research and practical developments, reflected on the achievements of the past year, and identified priorities for the continued development of the legal clinic movement in Ukraine.

The Forum also marked the final stage of a comprehensive professional development programme for legal clinic supervisors. Over the course of several months, participants worked on issues related to legal clinic management, human rights protection, public legal education, international cooperation, and institutional capacity building. The Forum provided an opportunity to reflect on this experience and present the outcomes of their work.

Strengthening the Legal Clinic Network

The first day of the Forum focused on the development of Ukraine’s legal clinic network, highlighting its achievements, current challenges, and future prospects. Yuliia Lomzhets, Chair of the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine, presented the Association’s annual achievements, outlined key developments within the clinical legal education movement, and discussed the priorities shaping its future.

Today, the ALCU network brings together more than 60 legal clinics, over 220 academic supervisors, and more than 1,000 students. Supporting such a network requires sustained cooperation and shared approaches to ensuring the quality of clinical legal education. Accordingly, the Association’s priorities during 2025 included the implementation of updated Standards for Legal Clinic Activities, the launch of an online monitoring system, and the introduction of other tools aimed at strengthening the network. Throughout the year, the Association organised several nationwide student competitions and internship programmes while continuing to expand its international partnerships. Among other achievements, the UALC became a co-organiser of the Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE) Worldwide Conference, established a partnership with the UK-based organisation CLEO, and continued implementing joint initiatives with international partners.

Another important milestone announced during the Forum was the expansion of the UALC network through the admission of three new legal clinics:

• Legal Clinic of the Vinnytsia Institute of Trade and Economics of the State University of Trade and Economics;
• Legal Clinic of the Academician Yurii Bugai International Scientific and Technical University;
• Legal Clinic of the Financial and Law College.

A key element of the Forum programme was the presentation of the follow-up analytical study “Legal Clinics of Ukrainian Law Schools: Experience, Challenges, and International Partnerships.” Prepared by Liliia Amelicheva, Yuliia Saienko, and Yuliia Lomzhets, the report builds on the research conducted in 2025 and evaluates how legal clinics have implemented previous recommendations, identifies the most effective practices, and examines the challenges that continue to shape the clinical legal education movement. The findings demonstrate that legal clinics are becoming increasingly engaged in professional development activities, project-based work, and international cooperation.

Building on these findings, the research team also presented the Roadmap for the Development of Legal Clinics in Ukraine —a practical framework outlining possible pathways for the development of a legal clinic, from its establishment to becoming a sustainable institution fully integrated into legal education, human rights protection, and community engagement.

International Experience and Partnerships

A dedicated session of the Forum focused on international experience in the development of legal clinics and on identifying solutions to the challenges facing clinical legal education across different countries.

Halyna Kokhan, representing the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, presented the Human Rights Infrastructure for Ukraine (HRIU) Programme (2025–2027), which supports human rights institutions, universities, and communities in Ukraine’s recovery and European integration process. She highlighted the Institute’s partnership with the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine (ALCU), the promotion of a human rights-based approach to clinical legal education, the introduction of trauma-informed practices in legal clinics, and professional development opportunities available to Ukrainian researchers and academics.

Arman Gasparyan shared the experience of Armenia, where a network of 12 legal clinics is currently in operation. His presentation explored the challenges facing the country’s legal clinic movement, including limited resources, the need for stronger coordination among legal clinics, the absence of a formal national association, and the challenge of balancing the educational mission of legal clinics with the provision of free legal aid. At the same time, the Armenian experience demonstrated that legal clinics are playing an increasingly significant role in advancing human rights protection and providing legal support to vulnerable groups.

Chengetai Hamadziripi presented the development of legal clinics in Zimbabwe, tracing their evolution from individual volunteer initiatives to the establishment of the Zimbabwe University Law Clinics Association (ZULCA). Particular attention was given to advocacy efforts aimed at universities and professional regulators, which have helped strengthen the recognition of clinical legal education, improve working conditions for clinical legal educators, and expand opportunities for students’ practical legal training. Her presentation also highlighted the important role of professional associations in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the legal clinic movement.

Despite differences in national contexts, the international speakers demonstrated that legal clinics around the world face many of the same challenges, including maintaining the quality of clinical legal education, securing institutional recognition, and developing sustainable funding models. Their experiences reaffirmed that international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge remain essential drivers for the continued development of legal clinics in Ukraine.

Researching Legal Clinic Practice

The Forum’s academic programme focused on research and practical experience emerging from the day-to-day work of legal clinics. The presentations covered a broad range of topics, including human rights, access to justice, support for vulnerable groups, and the development of legal clinics as both educational and human rights institutions. Speakers explored how legal clinics are responding to the challenges of war, providing legal support to veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs), incorporating anti-discrimination approaches into their work, expanding public legal education initiatives, and preparing students for professional legal practice. The programme featured contributions from academics, legal clinic supervisors, and students, who shared both their perspectives on the future of clinical legal education and their practical experience within legal clinics.

Yuliia Lomzhets presented a paper on human rights in higher education and the role of legal clinics in fostering a human rights culture within universities. Liudmyla Rudenko examined public legal education as a key element of ensuring access to justice in line with European standards. Serhii Sainchyn shared his experience of providing legal support to veterans and discussed the specific features of legal clinic work with this client group. Viktoriia Orel addressed legal reasoning among student advisers and the communication skills required for effective client counselling. Liliia Amelicheva presented the results of her work and research on legal assistance and public legal education for internally displaced persons.

During the second panel, Olena Kononets analysed cooperation between legal clinics, the free legal aid system, and the legal profession. Sofiia Shutiak discussed the legal regulation of demolition waste and the potential role of legal clinics in addressing related challenges. Yuliia Matvieieva presented an anti-discrimination approach to the work of legal clinics and its practical significance for both students and clients. Vladyslav Litvinov offered a student perspective on the contemporary legal clinic and its contribution to the professional development of future lawyers. Kateryna Kalachenkova explored the role of legal clinics in advancing the principles of the European Green Deal and addressing emerging societal challenges in the context of digital transformation.

Outcomes

The two-day Forum demonstrated that legal clinics have become active contributors to social change. They are responding to the consequences of war, providing support to veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs), expanding public legal education initiatives, promoting human rights-based approaches, and developing new forms of cooperation at both the national and international levels. At the same time, legal clinics continue to face shared challenges, including ensuring long-term sustainability, strengthening institutional capacity, further integrating clinical legal education into university curricula, expanding international partnerships, and responding effectively to emerging societal needs. Against this backdrop, the exchange of experience, collaborative research, and professional dialogue remain essential drivers of the legal clinic movement.

Among the Forum’s tangible outcomes were the preparation of a collection of conference abstracts, the presentation of the follow-up analytical study on legal clinics in Ukraine, and the launch of the Roadmap for the Development of Legal Clinics in Ukraine. Together, these outputs provide a foundation for future professional dialogue, advocacy efforts, and the continued advancement of the legal clinic movement in Ukraine.

The Forum is held within the framework of the Human Rights Infrastructure for Ukraine (HRIU) Programme (2025–2027), funded by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, with the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine (ALCU) serving as the implementing partner.